What It Is: The droptop version of Mercedes-Benz’s all-new S-class coupe, caught testing with almost no camouflage. It, well, looks exactly like an S-class coupe, only with a folding fabric roof.

Why It Matters: Mercedes-Benz is expanding the S-class lineup more aggressively than ever before with models like the ultraposh S-class coupe, the Mercedes-Maybach S600 and Pullman variants, and this convertible. The idea is to attack the world’s most prestigious brands on every level with Merc’s most prestigious nameplate, and a humongous and ridiculously opulent two-door convertible is a key weapon in that plan.

Platform: The S coupe’s C217 front-engine, rear-drive architecture (derived from the W222 S-class sedan bones) will underpin the cabriolet. We suspect Mercedes will beef up the structure to account for the removal of the roof, although it is possible that satisfactory levels of rigidity were already engineered into the coupe. The S-class cabrio will be massive—the coupe is roughly 16.5 feet long—and we expect it to weigh slightly less than 5000 pounds. (By comparison, a Bentley Continental GT V-8 S convertible pushes down on the scales to the tune of 5500-plus pounds.)

A retractable hardtop for a vehicle this size would be extremely difficult to engineer, and insanely heavy even if it could be pulled off, so Merc has gone the more sensible softtop route. That lid nearly mimics the coupe’s gorgeous roofline. Everything from the convertible’s A-pillars forward appears to be exactly the same as the coupe, and aside from a slightly reworked trunklid, the tail looks to be similar, too. Seeing as how the S-class coupe is one of the most attractive vehicles on the market today, the cabriolet version is already ahead of the game; dropping the top should bring it even more road presence and elegance.

Powertrain: The S-class cabriolet might be one beefy tostada, but it certainly won’t drive that way. Like the S-class coupe, the cabriolet could get three distinct variants, each with its own engine, and every single one will be far quicker than it needs to be. The “entry-level” model will be the S550 and get the same 449-hp twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8 engine and 4MATIC all-wheel drive as the S550 coupe. An S550 coupe we tested with the same powertrain hit 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.

Next up the ladder would be the S63 AMG, which mates a hand-built, 577-hp twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 with 4MATIC. An S63 AMG coupe we tested hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds; figure on the cabrio nearly matching that time. Finally, an S65 AMG may top the range with a 621-hp twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12; thanks to its mighty 738 lb-ft of torque, the V-12 isn’t compatible with 4MATIC, leaving the S65 rear-drive-only. The S550 uses Benz’s ubiquitous seven-speed automatic transmission, while the S63 and S65 employ AMG’s seven-cog Speedshift automatic.

Estimated Arrival and Price: If you’re thinking the S-class cabriolet prototypes pictured here don’t look very, well, prototype-like, you’re correct. They aren’t, and we think the big droptop could be set to debut very soon. Expect the car’s auto-show reveal to take place at the Frankfurt show later this year, leaving open the possibility of an early 2016 on-sale date here in the United States. Prices will undoubtedly be higher than those of the S-class coupe, with at least a $10,000 premium for the topless S550, S63 AMG, and S65 AMG. That means a base price around $130,000, with the S65 AMG commanding close to a quarter of a million bucks. And there will be options, of course—lots of options.

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